Virginia V. Thomas

Virginia V. Thomas, 89, of Beaver Dam passed away on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Hillside Manor in Beaver Dam. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, December 8, 2014 at the Koepsell-Murray Funeral Home, N7199 N. Crystal Lake Rd., Beaver Dam with Chaplain Dennis Richards officiating. A visitation will also be held on Monday from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will take place Randolph Cemetery in Randolph, WI. Virginia was born at home on Ruggles Street in North Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on February 14th, 1925, the daughter of Opal (nee Biddle) and John Reinke. At age three she moved with her Mother, Opal, and her sister, Lori, to a farm in rural Pardeville, Wisconsin and she lived there until age sixteen when she married Joe Slinger. Together they had three children, Larry, Eugene, and Darlene. She later married Lloyd Thomas in Dubuque, Iowa, and they were blessed with four children, Sandy, Daryl, Betty, and William (deceased). Over their 65 years together, they lived in Fox Lake and Columbus, before moving to Beaver Dam in 1955. Virginia came from a family of thirteen and also had six half brothers and sisters. Besides being a wife and mother, she worked at several restaurants in Beaver Dam, Columbus, and Fox Lake. She was also a cashier in Augusta, Georgia. She worked for approximately 25 years at Weyenberg Shoe Factory on Spring Street in Beaver Dam. She retired from Goodyear Tire after twelve years. Virginia was preceded in death by her parents; an adopted brother, David Sheeks, who died at Pearl Harbor; one step brother, Daniel Sheeks; two brothers: Harry and Charlie; three sisters: Deloris “Lori” DeVoll, Violet Vogel and Daisy Hafenstein; four siblings in infancy: Helen, Iris, Calvin, and Richard; and one son, William David Thomas. She is survived by her husband, Lloyd of Beaver Dam; six children: Larry (Sandy) Slinger of Weslaco, TX, Eugene (Jean Tiedt) Slinger of Beaver Dam, Darlene (Phil) Schultz of Aurora, CO, Sandra Thomas of Beaver Dam, Daryl Thomas of Suring, WI, and Betty Thomas of Antigo; one daughter-in-law, Gloria Bell of Beaver Dam; fourteen grandchildren, Steve Slinger, Tracey (Jim) Yasgar, Darwin and Darrin Slinger, Duane (Tracy) Slinger, Michael Beich, Heather (Steve) Margelofsky, Becky (Nathan) Hodgson, Jeremy (Kandy) Thomas, Aaron (Beth) Milan, Monica (Steve) Stremkowski, and Ryan Thomas Reuter; 27 great grandchildren, as well as one great great granddaughter; two sisters: Rose Bushke of Fox Lake, Wisconsin and Lily Jones of Beaver Dam; one brother-in-law, Carlos Vogel of Beaver Dam; and numerous nieces and nephews.